Sugar & Its Dangers Hit the News, Thanks to Dr. Robert Lustig’s YouTube Video & Nightline

Sugar and its dangers are in the news again, thanks to ABC’s popular show, Nightline, which, last night, aired a compelling story spotlighting sugar’s role in the obesity crisis.
In his “Sugar Wars” piece, correspondent John Donovan offers a fascinating look at the views of esteemed pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig, whose YouTube video, “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” has garnered more than a quarter of a million hits to date.
In this Nightline segment — which you can watch below — Donovan calls Dr. Lustig “a man at war with sugar,” because he argues that too much fructose and not enough fiber are to blame for our obesity crisis.
“Fructose is the cause of the current epidemic,” says Dr. Lustig, director of UCSF’s Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) Clinic and UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology.
Nightline correspondent Donovan also includes quotes from the the pediatric endocrinologist about leptin’s role in obesity; fructose’s role in metabolic syndrome; and the fact that low-fat foods such as SnackWells cookies and fruit-flavored yogurt are filled with sugar.
In the Nightline piece, Donovan made an effort to make his piece unbiased by allowing Dr. Lustig’s ideas to be criticized by three pro-sugar advocates — one from the American Beverage Association (formerly called the National Soft Drink Association) and two from the Corn Refiners Association, including a cardiologist, who has done studies funded by PepsiCo, the manufacturer of sugar-filled soft drinks.
Understandably, correspondent John Donovan seems to be like millions of Americans, who have a sweet tooth. In fact, the reporter readily admits that strolling with Dr. Lustig at San Francisco’s Pier 30 (a hot spot filled with sugary foods) can be “at times, well, a bit of of a downer. Because we love sugar, don’t we, most of us?”
Donovan is absolutely correct in his assessment. Most Americans — and people around the world — are so keen on sugar that they imbibe it to their detriment. Unfortunately, the Nightline reporter did not mention that obesity is only part of the sugar story.
The average American’s sugar consumption — about 170 pounds per year per person — also has been linked with heart disease, cancer, severe PMS, memory loss, depression, fatigue, headaches, infertility, low libido, polycystic ovary syndrome and many other ailments.
In addition, regretfully, the Nightline piece did not point out that Dr. Lustig is in very good company. His views are shared by many of us concerned health advocates. For instance, esteemed pediatric endocrinologist Dr. David Ludwig — who was previously interviewed along with me for a “CBS News Sunday Morning” segment, “Is America Too Sweet on Sugar” — is among those frightened by the massive consumption of sugar, particularly high fructose corn syrup, in this country and around the world.
Others sounding the sugar alarm include:
* Dr. Walter Willett of Harvard;
* Dr. Nancy Appleton, author of Suicide by Sugar: A Startling Look at Our #1 National Addiction;
* Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, who appears on my Gab with the Gurus Radio Show on March 31 to discuss his new book, Beat Sugar Addiction Now! ;
* Dr. Richard Johnson, author of The Sugar Fix: The High-Fructose Fallout That is Making You Fat and Sick.); and
* Myself, author of SUGAR SHOCK! How Sweet and Simple Carbs Can Derail Your Life–And How You Can Get Back on Track.
Now, I invite you to watch the eye-opening Nightline segment below.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Sour Surprise

Do you eat prepared, processed cereals, breads, pasta, yogurt, tomato sauce, crackers, frozen foods, pickles, canned vegetables or fruits?
If so, then you’re probably consuming a lot of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) without even knowing it.
Did you know that most people who eat processed, packaged foods are consuming a lot of sweeteners, especially high fructose corn syrup?
And did you know that when take in too many sugars, especially HFCS, you can gain weight, as well as develop heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and numerous other life-shortening illnesses?
Learn more about HFCS in a mere three minutes by watching the 3 Minute Ad Age interview I gave last year.
I just found out today that the video interview about HFCS is posted on YouTube so please spread the word to your friends and loved ones.
Find out more about the dangers of high fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners by getting my book SUGAR SHOCK!
You also can learn more about HFCS by visiting the new blog, Sweet Disguise, which kindly featured my book and 3 Minute Ad Age Interview today.

Thanksgiving: How Not to Pig Out

People often wonder how to make it through Thanksgiving without pigging out on sweets and quickie carbs and going into sugar shock.
They don’t want to wake up having gained weight, feeling fuzzy-headed and moody.
Just think: Wouldn’t it be nice to feel happy and self assured that you didn’t cave into those candied yams, pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes?
So today’s Tip of the Week will offer you three simple tactics to put into action at your Thanksgiving meal:
1. Imagine What If… Just think about how you’ll feel the day after Thanksgiving if you allowed yourself to have some “treats. Would you feel angry and disappointed at yourself? Would you lose self-respect? Would you feel discouraged that you couldn’t control yourself? My clients say that all of the above emotions would hit them—and hard. So before you put those Thanksgiving “goodies” into your mouth, just “Imagine What If…”

Got Milk Full of Sugar?

You might be unknowingly giving your kids 3 teaspoons of sugar regularly if you’re giving them flavored milk drinks. Find out more here.

Sugar Addiction: Are You Committing Suicide by Sugar? Nancy Appleton Shares the Dirt on My Gab With the Gurus Radio Show: Listen Live or Later

Did you know that eating sugary foods and drinking sweet beverages can send you early to your grave?
Well, health expert and former sugaraholic Nancy Appleton — who’s been warning about sugar’s dangers since the 1970s — will appear on my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show on Oct. 2j0 at 3 pm EST to dish you the dirt about America’s sweetheart, sugar.
Now, the friendly, enthusiastic, always-energetic Dr. Appleton has come out with a new book, Suicide by Sugar: A Startling Look at Our #1 National Addiction, which offers some startling information about this legal but dangerous, nearly ubiquitous, addictive white powder.
You’ll be shocked when you listen to this radio interview, which you can catch either live at 3 pm EST on Oct. 20 or later, here on this SUGAR SHOCK Blog, by clicking the player at the bottom of this post.
Some of you have asked me, “Connie, why do you promote other sugar experts and sugar books when you’ve got your own to publicize?”
Well, I strongly believe that all of us sugar authors and experts have something special and unique to offer. Together, we can give you the information and inspiration that you need to begin to remove sweets to live a happier, healthier life.
Besides, as my tormented, frustrated sugar-addicted clients often reveal, people yearn for lots of scary information and eye-opening facts from a variety of sources so they can get more motivated to conquer their overpowering addiction. For instance, when I kicked sugar back in 1998, Nancy’s book Lick the Sugar Habit was one of several that I read. I also appreciated having the books, Sugar Blues and Get the Sugar Out, to spur me to action. And now, part of what I’m doing is banding with other sugar addiction specialists to help serve you. For instance, I’m now working with fellow life coach James Hahn, II — also a former sugar addict. Together, we just launched our Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Social Network, which you’re invited to join.
NancyAppleton Back to Nancy. Of all sugar experts other than myself, she is hands-down my favorite. She has been my sweet, kind mentor for years.
I cannot rave enough about Nancy, my idol, who I had the pleasure of finally meeting in late April at a Food Addiction: The Obesity Epidemic Connection conference at IslandWood on Bainbridge Island. (You can watch a video here of me interviewing Jack LaLanne at the conference.).
Back to Nancy. For some four to five years, while I was researching and writing my book SUGAR SHOCK!, Nancy was incredibly kind, generous and helpful to me. She gave time to me and answered my many, many questions without hesitating and with no thought of herself. Her only goals were to get accurate information out to as many unsuspecting, sugar-addicts as possible.
When I was writing my book, Nancy has absolutely no way of knowing that SUGAR SHOCK! would sell well, and that years later I would finally be able to help her.
So I encourage now, go out and buy Nancy’s amazing new book, Suicide by Sugar: A Startling Look at Our #1 National Addiction.
To listen to the Gab With the Gurus Radio Show with Nancy either live on Oct. 20 at 3 pm EST — or later, at your convenience, just click on the player below or listen live at BlogTalkRadio.com.
For more news about upcoming radio guests, visit the Gab With the Gurus Blog.

Lakers’ Lamar Odom: Is His Candy Habit Triggering His Uneven Performance on the Basketball Court?

Why does the Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom have an uneven performance on the basketball court such as this flagrant foul?
In a blog post, entitled “The Lakers’ Lamar Odom, Sweet Tooth and Erratic Play,” Dr. Daniel Amen, a Lakers fan since a child, presents a compelling theory — the basketball player’s compulsive candy habit is to blame.
After interviewing hundreds of experts for my book SUGAR SHOCK! and suffering my own horrific, sugar-induced nightmare, the physician’s concept makes perfect sense.
Dr. Amen, author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and Magnificent Mind at Any Age, writes that Odom “is unbelievably talented, but often acts like a space cadet during games.
“He can play great, and be worth his 14 million-dollar salary, or he can act like he is `missing in action.'”
Indeed, acting like a space cadet or have brain fog is clearly a manifestation of low blood sugar, which can be triggered by eating too many sweets.
Kudos to Dr. Amen for pointing out that “Odom’s massive consumption of candy leads to a sugar high and then a crash, evidence of which can be seen on the basketball court.”

Food Diary Forms for You: Keep Track & Your Weight Will Disappear

Keeping a food journal is a quicker way to weight loss, as I mentioned here and often remind my clients. To help you peel off those pounds, I’m providing you with a special food diary.
I encourage you to print out many copies of this page and then track yourself like a lab rat all day long. Just imagine that you’re a scientist watching the behavior of your beloved animals.
Feel free to share this Ultimate Food Journal© with friends, co-workers, gym buddies, bosses, hairdressers, fitness trainers, loved ones and frenemies. In short, spread the link love, as some say.
Sugar & Fake-Sugars Food Tracker: The Ultimate Food Journal©
Name ________________________________________
Date _________________________________________
What did I eat and drink? (Any sugary foods or drinks? Any refined carbs? Any artificial sweeteners?) How did I I feel? Was I physically or emotionally hungry? (On the 1st line, state what you ate. On the 2nd line, jot down how you felt — really hungry, angry, lonely, frustrated, furious, stressed out, etc.)
7 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
7 a.m. _______________________________________________________________